海角大神

The 43rd session of the United Nations Committee on World Farming Security approved a dramatic聽聽with broad implications for livestock welfare. These recommendations are modeled after the聽聽written by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE, formerly the International des Epizooties) and are meant to improve animal health, food security, and nutrition.

The recommendations include enabling access to veterinary services, improving animal health management, promoting the prudent and responsible use of antimicrobials鈥攊ncluding the phasing out of use of antibiotics for animal growth promotion鈥攄elivering on the five freedoms and related OIE standards, and promoting access to good quality feed. The five freedoms referred to in the recommendations are animal rights outlined by the OIE to govern treatment. They are 鈥渇reedom from hunger, thirst and malnutrition; freedom from fear and distress; freedom from physical and thermal discomfort; freedom from pain, injury and disease; and freedom to express normal patterns of behaviour.鈥� Activists believe these freedoms necessary for the humane treatment of animals and should be universally accepted.

In addition to the humane treatment of animals, scientific research is revealing the financial benefits of the new welfare recommendations. For instance,听聽lowers growth, reproduction, production, and health in livestock, leading to decreased profit.聽, caused by rough handling, reduces product quality, safety, and market value. Improving animal welfare can reduce聽, lowering climate change risks and related costs. Regulators now have the tools to track and enforce the new recommendations including improved methods of聽,听, and聽聽animal welfare.

Researchers have found that聽聽how stress, injury, and shock before slaughter can decrease meat quality has led to increased adoption of animal welfare practices and policies.聽聽in the United Kingdom between producers, scientists, and veterinarians in policymaking resulted in practical, meaningful, and effective reductions in antibiotic use.聽聽programs, a branch of agroecology, are focusing on adapting livestock to local environments, increasing food security and diversity. According to the聽, the dairy industry has already seen a shift towards decreased antibiotic and hormone use and improved animal welfare, as well as an increase in organic farms, in large part due to social pressures and policy changes. However, a multinational evaluation found that聽聽is necessary to expand animal welfare programs internationally.

In the United States, the majority of farm animal聽聽are at the state level. The strongest relevant law at the Federal level is the聽, but it does not apply to farm animals. The聽聽of 1873 (amended 1994) prevents the transportation of livestock for more than 28 consecutive hours without being unloaded for five hours for rest, water, and food. The聽聽of 1958 (amended 2002) outlines proper handling of food animals, except chicken and other birds, but there is聽. These and a few sections of the聽聽suggest how to treat farm animals, but they are not as progressive or inclusive as the new U.N. recommendation.

Progress towards improving animal welfare in the U.S. include guidelines from the Food and Drug Administration regarding聽. This, coupled with voluntary actions in industry, has聽聽in meat. Additionally, the聽听补苍诲听聽programs provide third party verification of adherence to OIE recommendations.

Increasingly, companies are voluntarily committing to improving the welfare of animals used in their products. Organizations such as聽听补苍诲听聽have had animal-friendly policies for years. Since the U.N. announcement, companies including聽,听,听,听, and聽聽have stated they will take steps towards improving their practices and those of their suppliers. The聽,听,听, and other advocacy groups are reporting these commitments with great enthusiasm. Consumers continue to聽聽and increasingly expect the聽聽of livestock. The new recommendations seem to be acting as a guidepost for industry, even in the absence of regulatory oversight.

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